Former WBO featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson will continue his campaign in the 130lbs division in New York on June 12.
Now the WBO No.1 contender at super-featherweight, Stevenson (15-0, 8 KOs) is due to fight the winner of the April 3 bout in Dubai between current world title holder Jamel Herring and Belfast boxing icon Carl Frampton.
According to ESPN.com, Stevenson is likely to warm up against Namibian Jeremiah Nakathila (21-1, 17 KOs), who is the WBO’s No.2 contender at 130lbs, in June. Nakathila is currently on a 10-fight KO streak.
The gifted Stevenson hasn’t fought since decisioning Toka Kahn Clary last December, but has been forced to wait for his mandated title shot at super-featherweight following numerous delays of the Herring-Frampton encounter.
A bout between Stevenson and the Herring-Frampton winner hasn’t been entirely ruled out for June 12, but that seems an impossibly quick turnaround for such a significant title clash. It’s more likely Stevenson fights for the WBO title in the autumn.
The June 12 Top Rank promotion will take place on New York’s traditional Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend, which has meaning to Stevenson as his late father was Puerto Rican.
Main image: Mikey Williams/Top Rank.
